• Digital Battlespace

  ADAS 2016: Harris eyes Philippine radio future (video)

  30th September 2016

  Shephard talks to Edward Olejniczak, Harris' regional manager for the Asia-Pacific region about the company prospects in the Philippines providing radios and a new ship …

• Training

  MDM 2016: Training – the new battlefield function?

  29th September 2016

  The growing importance of coalition training and partner nation military development is prompting some to consider ‘training’ as a new addition to traditional battlefield functions. …

• Military Logistics

  Serco to continue Canadian base support

  29th September 2016

  Serco has received a contract from Public Services and Procurement Canada to continue providing site support services at the 5 Wing Canadian Forces Base in …

• Training

  Farewell QF-4, hello QF-16

  29th September 2016

  The re-use of redundant fighter aircraft to act as full-scale aerial targets (FSAT) has a certain symmetry with the hunter becoming the hunted. In August, …

• Defence Notes

  BAE to upgrade more Mk 45 naval guns

  29th September 2016

  BAE Systems has been awarded a $50 million contract option by the US Navy to upgrade four additional Mk 45 naval guns on its guided …

• Training

  Lockheed to supply F-16 trainers for Jordan

  28th September 2016

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $40 million contract to deliver a simulation-based F-16 aircraft training environment to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), the …

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE develops handheld EW technology

  28th September 2016

  BAE Systems has developed new handheld electronic warfare (EW) technology for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the company announced on 27 September. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Wärtsilä joins autonomous shipping project

  28th September 2016

  Wärtsilä Corporation has announced that it is to take part in a project aimed at creating the an autonomous marine transport system. The collaborative industry …

• Training

  New LCS training facility opens

  28th September 2016

  The Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) has opened a new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Training Facility (LTF) at the US Naval Base San Diego …

• Defence Notes

  ADAS 2016: Saab targets fighter programme

  28th September 2016

  Magnus Hagman, the Gripen campaign director at Saab, talks to Shephard about the aircraft being put forward for the Philippine Multi-Role Fighter programme and the importance of …

• Training

  USS Bataan completes training exercise

  27th September 2016

  USS Bataan (LHD 5), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the US Navy, has taken part in the two-week PHIBRON-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) exercise off …

• Training

  Australia flies EC-135T2 helicopter

  27th September 2016

  The Australian Defence Force has flown for the first time a new EC-135 T2 twin-engine helicopter acquired as part of its Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) …

• Naval Warfare

  AWD Alliance: Destroyer programme ‘on schedule’

  26th September 2016

  During a recent visit by Shephard to the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance in South Australia, officials assured that construction of three destroyers for the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Egypt requests Sentinel radars

  21st September 2016

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale (FMS) of AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radars to Egypt, it was announced on 19 September. …

• Training

  Typhoon simulator whips up a storm (video)

  21st September 2016

  Former Luftwaffe pilot Raffael Klaschka gives Shephard a first-hand look at a Eurofighter Typhoon simulator. The simulator is used for both basic and advanced training, the latter will …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  EVO Max 4T [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Ukraine On 6 October 2023, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Miniter of Digital Transformation, announced that the Army of Drones sent nearly 2,000 EVO Max ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Hürkuş-C Advanced Armed Trainer (Turkey)

  The Hurjet-C development programme funding was included in the Hurkus-B procurement contract awarded by  the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries in December 2013.  The Hurjet will ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AW101-Norway

  AgustaWestland is also providing initial support and training services, including spares at each of the operating bases and aircrew training. It will then provide performance ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• Trainer

  T-54A Multi-Engine Training System (METS) (USA)

  Programme Background Multi-Engine Training System is a USN programme to replace the ageing T-44C Pegasus fleet and modernize multi-engine aircraft training. Multi-Engine Training System provides ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Malaysian Navy are in the process of a fleet transformation plan known as the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Submarines Procurement [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements In 2015, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) issued the so-called 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which envisioned the service to be standardised ...

• ISR/special mission

  Shadow R1 [UK]

  Programme Background The RAF is moving forward with an ambitious plan to transform its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) force to enable greater ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawks [Greece]

  Programme Background In October 2023, Greece submitted a formal request to acquire 49 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as replacements for the Army's Bell UH-1s after launching ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk-USA

  The UH-60M Black Hawk is a digitally networked platform with greater range and lift to support maneuver commanders through air assault, general support, command and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Beyond Vision Drones [Portugal]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 14 February 2023, Beyond Vision announced that it had been awarded a €600,375 contract for the acquisition of "6 Mulittoror ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER -Canada

  Programme Background Canadian Special Forces was looking to procure ISR aircraft to support their missions both overseas and domestically.  There were few Canadian suppliers to sell ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Submarines Procurement [Malaysia]

  According to the Royal Malaysian Navy 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, the Navy wants to acquire two more submarines between 2031 and 2035. Shephard estimates ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Submarines Procurement [Malaysia]

  According to the Royal Malaysian Navy 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, the Navy wants to acquire two more submarines between 2031 and 2035. Shephard estimates ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Gray Eagle 25M (13-20) [US National Guard]

  Background Requirement In FY2021, the National Guard Association of the United States (NGUAS) announced that it was "critical" that it fielded the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER). The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  ACT

  Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is leading at strategic command level the transformation of NATO’s military structure, forces, capabilities and doctrine. It is working to enhance ...

• Loitering munitions

  Trypillian SSG

  Manufactured by Trypillian, a British-Ukrainian start-up, the Trypillian SSG is an autonomous, deep-strike loitering munition, designed to operate in GNSS-denied environments.  Trypillian states that it is an asymmetric ...

• Light UGVs

  D-21-11

  Unveiled in January 2024, the D-21-11 is a 4x4 wheeled UGV from Brave1. The Ukrainian vehicle features a flatbed that can host various equipment, such ...

• Loitering munitions

  Backfire

  The Backfire is a Ukrainian fire-and-forget loitering munition. The catapult-launched system is GPS-guided, meaning it is resistant to radio-electronic interference. Reportedly, its lack of real-time ...

• Medium UGVs

  Ironclad

  The Ironclad is a Ukrainian 4x4 UGV developed by Roboneers, a technology incubator that solicits ideas and pairs them with potential investors. Fitted with a ShaBlya ...

• Ultra-light UGVs

  Ratel S

  The Ratel S, sometimes also called the Medoed or Honey Badger, is a Ukrainian kamikaze UGV that can be armed with a TM-62 anti-tank mine or two 82mm ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Vampire

  The Vampire is a hexacopter drone developed by the Ukrainian company Skyfall. It can carry and drop various types of ammunition on the enemy. In ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  DRTS

  The Digital Range Training System (DRTS) was developed under a 2011 contract to provide an immersive training environment for US Army vehicle crews. Training includes ...

• Loitering munitions

  Hornet IV

  Unveiled in September 2025, the Hornet IV is a development of the MQM-178 target drone designed for attack missions. Kratos and the National Chung-Shan Institute ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  EVO Max 4T

  The EVO Max 4T is an in-development rotary-wing ISR drone from Autel Robotics. According to Autel, the drone has advanced autonomous technology, giving it a strong ...

• Air: aerial targets

  MQM-178 Firejet

  The MQM-178 Firejet is a target drone manufactured by Kratos Defence.  It performs a variety of end-to-end weapons-release training roles, including surface-to-air and air-to-air.

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Live Training Systems-Range Instrumentation

  End-to-end, networked, live training communications systems providing live training range products, communications infrastructure and instrumented participant voice, video and data communications. These include range voice, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Nomad (Group 4/5)

  In October 2025, Sikorsky unveiled the Nomad family of drones. The family can be scaled from a small Group 3 UAV to a Group 4/5 system with ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  USN T-44C Training Services

  In late 2013, CAE USA received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA ...

• Data links

  CLIP

  Common Link Integration Processing (CLIP) is a software product that performs data transformation and processes protocols for dissimilar communications formats. It meets requirements for common ...